JK Rowling surprised some people this week when she admitted playing the world-building game, but she’s not alone. Authors find games of all kinds bring inspiration – as well as offering welcome distraction

Streamed event: AS Byatt, Howard Jacobson and Mark Ravenhill celebrated 450 years since Shakespeare's birth, reflected on his legacy and examined what his work means to novelists, poets and playwrights of today

As Sotheby's prepares to auction first editions of books annotated by 50 top authors, curator and antiquarian book-dealer Rick Gekoski explains how he got all the greats to join in - and some of the secrets they reveal